1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable vibratory feminine stimulator for use in marital and sexual therapy.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Within the last several decades, the existence and desirability of the female orgasm has been virtually universally accepted by civilized society. Yet it is equally well established that a large percentage of women do not orgasm regularly during sexual intercourse, the use of ordinary vibrators or the use of self-stimulation. Indeed, a substantial minority of women report that they rarely, if ever, orgasm through the aforementioned three methods and only orgasm through the means of cunnilingus. For a substantial number of married couples, this can lead to tension and frustration which, in turn, leads to marital discord, especially if the husband has a dislike for performing cunnilingus or an inability to perform cunnilingus. Assuming that this is not a result of lack of facility on the part of the husband or intractable trauma based psychological problems on the wife's part, orgasmic therapy with a device which can perform a simulation of cunnilingus can replace or substantially supplement traditional marital therapy for such troubled couples.
Usually, orgasmic therapy for women involves self-stimulation. While arguments have persisted for years whether internal orgasms were a more mature form of orgasm than external orgasms or merely the result of indirect external pressure, the fact remains that external stimulation coupled with internal stimulation as occurs when cunnilingus is performed on a woman, tends to lead to more satisfying female orgasms.
As sexually dysfunctional women are unable to self-stimulate themselves in the same method as is used during cunnilingus, a mechanical device such as a vibrator which is capable of performing a simulation of cunnilingus may be required for effective marital therapy. Similarly, a vibrator is preferred over seeking the wife out other partners to perform cunnilingus since a mechanical device is normally more hygienic, is less likely to cause hurt feelings on the part of the husband and is able to achieve high vibrational rates which cannot be achieved orally. Furthermore, in the latter stages of therapy, a vibrator may allow the patient to continue stimulation past the initial orgasm to achieve multiple orgasms. This is in contradistinction to oral stimulation, wherein a man may be unable or unwilling to continue the oral stimulation of the woman past the initial orgasm.
After therapy is discontinued the couple can continue to use the vibrator or marital aid on a maintenance or recreational program. Similarly, a vibrator can be used in the context of a married couple which is certainly not dysfunctional, yet wherein the wife simply has a greater sexual appetite for cunnilingus or is slower to respond and climax than is the husband.
Additionally, it is well established that the female orgasm relieves cramps, a major source of irritability during menstruation. However, many wives are reluctant to engage in cunnilingus with their husband during menstruation. A vibrator for performing a simulation of cunnilingus can be used in such a context for relief of cramps and irritability associated with menstruation.
Moreover, a vibrator for the performance of a simulation of cunnilingus can be used for socially desirable, yet less than therapeutic, purposes. For example, the disabled or elderly can use a vibrator for the performance of a simulation of cunnilingus to induce orgasms after the death, desertion or lack of capacity or availability of a spouse. The socially desirable goal of marital fidelity may be achieved by a woman having access to a vibrator for the performance of a simulation of cunnilingus while her husband is injured, ill or absent for long periods. Similarly, in view of the prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases today, a vibrator for the performance of a simulation of cunnilingus is desirable in that it allows a single woman to experience orgasm and relieve tension more satisfactorily and reliably than by resorting to indiscriminate premarital sexual intercourse which frequently leads to undesirable and dangerous consequences.
In the prior art, vibrators are frequently phallic shaped to simulate the movement of a husband's sexual organ. The prevalence of this kind of vibrator is possibly the result of male misunderstanding of the process of female orgasm. As previously described, cunnilingus is the method of choice for many married women. Similarly, possibly due to male misunderstandings of female sensitivities or the maladaptation of devices originally designed as back, shoulder or scalp massagers, many vibrators in the prior art are unnecessarily rough and therefore are not suitable for marital orgasmic therapy. In vibrators of the prior, agitation is necessarily harsher because the vibrations are designed to cover a wider area, thereby causing a risk of irritation to soft tissue and mucosa traumatization which is unsuitable for marital orgasmic therapy. Indeed, at least one vibrator of the prior art incorporated a "hammering" motion while none of the prior art vibrators are capable of performing a simulation of cunnilingus.
Furthermore, the vibrating motion itself may be undesirable. However, the prior art has unquestioningly and unscientifically accepted this form of motion as several million vibrators of the prior art have been sold for the past several decades. Vibrators of the prior art have typically vibrated or "hammered" through an angle of only 10-80 degrees so that they would slide off the clitoris or desired area easily and be incapable of performing a simulation of cunnilingus, therefore forcing the marital therapy patient whom is most susceptible to cunnilingus or even incapable of orgasm through sexual intercourse or normal manual stimulation to repeatedly go from a mid-point of arousal back to the beginning of arousal.
Furthermore, in vibrators of the prior art, typically only one range of operation is provided. This is not well suited for applications wherein the woman with a wide range of sensitivities including a particular predilection and susceptibility for cunnilingus are to be treated.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,183,034 issued to Yoshikiyo Yamasaki et al. on Feb. 2, 1993 discloses a Portable Vibratory Finger Pressure Massager having massaging balls which can perform relative swinging motion and which can optionally cause a finger pressure massage, vibration or the like for back and body massages. The portable massages has a vibrator structure disposed in each massaging ball and vibration isolation boards which can absorb noise and vibration disposed on the rotating structure which can rotate the massaging balls. A spring is disposed at the center of a thin shaft to support the massaging ball to provide a stable massage without an uncomfortable feeling.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,067,480 issued to Philippe-Guy E. Woog et al. on Nov. 26, 1991 discloses a Stimulator for use in marital orgasmic therapy. This stimulator has a step-down transformer and a water-proof case where the stimulator oscillates at 2000-8000 cycles per minute throughout an angle of operation chosen from the range of 10 to 80 degrees. An integrated set includes several different detachable attachments and a handle with mechanical oscillating means.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,846,158 issued to Akihiko Teranishi on Jul. 11, 1989 discloses a Hand Type Electric Massage Machine with a vibration head connected through a coupling spring to a top end portion of a hand case and an unbalanced weight rotatably mounted to a top end portion of a rotary shaft so that the center of gravity of weight element is positioned on a line extending radially from a bearing of the rotary shaft. The weight element is fixed to a part of the periphery of a lower end portion of a cylinder base having a nearly covered cylindrical form including a disc portion and a skirt portion extending downward from the periphery of the disc portion. According to another feature of the Teranashi invention, the longitudinal ends of the vibration head are respectively provided with a curved surface extending in a vertical direction and with a curved projection surface having a smaller radius of curvature than that of the aforementioned curved surface and lateral sides thereof include a spherical surface member having an elastic body and with a spherical surface member having a number of small projections, respectively. The size of the bearing can be varied and lubricating oil is not scattered with the massage machine being suitable for massage in various modes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,825,853, issued May 2, 1989 to Hironori Iwamoto et al. discloses a hand held vibratory massager discloses a vibratory massager with a self-contained applicator head which is resiliently connected to a hand grip for limited movement in substantially all directions relative to the hand grip. A drive motor and an eccentric flyweight are mounted together within the applicator head for making it as a self-contained vibrating unit. The eccentric flyweight is connected to a motor output shaft in an eccentric relation thereto for imparting vibration to the applicator head upon rotation of the output shaft. Also mounted within the applicator head is a counterweight which provides dynamic balancing of the applicator head in such a manner as to align the center of mass of the entire applicator head with that of the flyweight in a plane perpendicular to the center axis of the applicator head.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,033,338, issued Jul. 5, 1977 to Kingsley Igwebike discloses a vibratory feminine hygiene vacuum device which includes an elongated flexible tubular intake portion for insertion into the vaginal tract. A motor driven centrifugal impeller within the device creates a radially inward air flow through plural intake ports in the tubular wall of the intake portion. An arm within the intake portion extends radially from a longitudinally directed motor driven rotating shaft and engages the interior wall of the intake portion. The intake portion undergoes a vibratory flexure in response to rotation of the shaft.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,991,751, issued Nov. 16, 1976 to Jessie O'Rourke discloses a portable vibrator with a tubular housing dimensioned to be held in a hand and with an open neck end. The housing has a predetermined diameter throughout its length and a diameter smaller than the predetermined diameter at the neck end thereof and is rounded down at its neck end from the predetermined diameter to the smaller diameter. A head is removably affixed to the housing at the neck end thereof and has the predetermined diameter at an intermediate part thereof. The head has the smaller diameter at the end affixed to the housing and is rounded down at its affixed end from the predetermined diameter to the smaller diameter thereby forming an annular trough-like indentation in the area of the neck end of the housing. An electric vibrating device in the housing vibrates the head.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,085,207, issued Feb. 4, 1992 to Russell D. Fiore discloses a massage device having three driven massage elements and a drive motor. A transmission arrangement enables a central massage element to both rotate and wobble, while two surrounding massage elements rotate only. The purpose of the outside elements is to stabilize contact of the novel device with respect to the skin, while the central element performs the actual massage. It should be noted that the three elements of Fiore's device cannot act independently of one another, and that the outer two elements merely rotate.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.